Te Hāwera Community Board

04/08/2026

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share your thoughts on the proposed bike loop.

The response from our community has been fantastic. While there was strong support for the idea, many of you told us the proposed concept wasn’t ambitious enough. We heard suggestions for a larger loop, improved safety features including fencing, and creating a facility our community can be proud of.

One of the biggest positives to come from this process has been the incredible offers of support from local businesses, organisations and community members who want to help make this happen. We sincerely appreciate every conversation and every offer.

Because of your feedback, the Te Hāwera Community Board decided at Monday’s meeting to pause the project and regroup.

Rather than pushing ahead with the original proposal, we’ll now focus on building on that local support, exploring partnerships and securing additional funding so we can investigate delivering something that better reflects the community’s vision.

As we move into the next stage, we’ll also need your continued support. There will likely be opportunities to attend Community Board and Council meetings to show elected members just how important this project is. Seeing members of the community in the room and hearing directly from them can make a real difference when projects are being considered and funding decisions are made.

This isn’t the end of the project—it’s about taking the time to get it right.

We’ll keep you updated on the next steps. Thank you again for helping shape the future of this project.

02/08/2026

📍 Te Hāwera Community Board Meeting – Tomorrow

Our next Te Hāwera Community Board meeting is on Monday at 4.00pm at Wharepuni Marae, 216 Fraser Road, Normanby.

Community Board meetings are open to everyone, and we’d love to see members of our community there.

Whether you have an interest in local parks, roads, community projects, events, or simply want to see how decisions are made, you’re very welcome to come along.

We’ll also be having more discussions about the proposed bike loop, following the great feedback we’ve received from the community recently. If you’ve been following the project, it might be interesting to hear how your feedback is helping shape our plans and the direction we’re taking.

Your local voice matters, and these meetings are a great way to stay informed and connected with what’s happening.

See you there!

29/07/2026

Excited to see such amazing candidates coming forward. Good luck with your campaigns Stephen, Tobi and Jamie-Anne 🙏❤️

🗳️ Te Hāwera Community Board By-Election Update

Nominations have closed for Te Hāwera Community Board by-election, with three candidates confirmed:

• Stephen Corrigan
• Tobi Hipp
• Jamie-Anne Manutai

Voting packs will be delivered to eligible voters from 7 September 2026, with voting closing at 12 noon on 7 October 2026.

Completed voting papers can be returned by post using the prepaid envelope provided or delivered to Hāwera LibraryPlus or the South Taranaki District Council Administration Building.

For more information, visit www.southtaranaki.com/byelection. 🗳️

18/07/2026

Reminder: Te Hāwera Community Board By-election Nominations Open

Nominations are now open to fill a vacancy on Te Hāwera Community Board.

Nomination forms can be picked up from the South Taranaki District Council Administration Building, Hāwera LibraryPlus, or downloaded from our website. You can also request a form by calling 0800922822.

Completed nominations must be handed in to the South Taranaki District Council Administration Building (105–111 Albion Street, Hāwera) by 12 noon on Tuesday 28 July 2026.

Find out more about standing for election, nomination requirements, key dates, and download a nomination form here:

🔗 https://www.southtaranaki.com/our-council/te-hwera-community-board-by-election-1

13/07/2026

🌞 More shade for our community!

We’re really pleased to see the new shade sail now in place at the skate park.

This project came directly from feedback we heard from our community. Families told us there simply wasn’t enough shade in our public spaces, particularly around places where children spend time.

As a board, we also made a submission to Council’s Long Term Plan highlighting the need for more shade across our parks and community spaces. It’s fantastic to see this project become a reality.

This isn’t quite the finished product yet. The next stage will see the area underneath completed with a suitable surface, such as bark, along with seating to create a comfortable spot where parents, grandparents and families can relax while keeping an eye on the action.

Thank you to everyone who shared their ideas and supported this project. Community feedback really does make a difference, and we’re looking forward to seeing this space enjoyed for years to come.

Now all we need is a bit more sunshine to give everyone a reason to use it! ☀️😄

08/07/2026

🚲 Let’s Build Hāwera’s Bike Loop Together

Great community projects happen when people come together.

The Te Hāwera Community Board regularly hears from families who love the bike loop in Stratford and would like to see something similar here in Hāwera. We’re excited to be working towards extending and upgrading the mini cycleway at the Hāwera Skate Park into a fun, interactive space where tamariki can build confidence and learn road safety through play.

To help bring this project to life, we’re looking for support with:

🚜 Civil works and excavation
🧱 Concrete supply and finishing
💦 Water blasting and line marking
🛑 Road signs and installation
🚦 A mini (ideally solar-powered) traffic light system
🌿 Landscaping and planting

Whether you can contribute labour, materials, equipment, expertise, or part of a work package, we’d love to hear from you. Every contribution, big or small, will help make this project a reality.

Take a look at our concept image and imagine what we could create together.

📅 Expressions of Interest close Friday 24 July 2026.

If you’d like to get involved or simply have a chat, send a private message to this page, message any member of the Te Hāwera Community Board, or email:

📧 [email protected]
📧 [email protected]
📧 [email protected]
📧 [email protected]

Let’s work together to create something our tamariki- and our whole community—can enjoy for years to come.

06/07/2026

👀🚦🚲👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Our next community project is on its way…

You told us you wanted this, and we’ve been listening.

Can you guess what it is? 🤔

Keep an eye on this page over the coming days for more details and how our community can get involved to help make it happen. 💙

06/07/2026

New signage helping make Hāwera parks more inclusive.

A grassroots community initiative aimed at making Hāwera’s public spaces more inclusive is now complete, with four Core Communication Signs installed at King Edward Park and Kōwhai Park.

The idea was seeded by Te Hāwera Community Board following conversations with Enabling Good Lives Hāwera about the challenges some neurodiverse children and adults can face when interacting with public spaces.

The signs provide a simple, visual communication tool for people who use alternative or assisted forms of communication, allowing them to express their thoughts, feelings and needs by pointing to symbols, words and images while enjoying the parks.

Working alongside TalkLink Trust, local businesses and Council staff, the Community Board helped turn the idea into reality. Council staff supported the project with te reo Māori translation work, helped identify suitable locations, and worked closely with the Community Board to ensure the signs would be accessible and useful for local families.

What began as a conversation quickly gained momentum, with local businesses stepping forward to support the project. Pam and Paula - First National Real Estate Hāwera, Precision Building, Simply Speech and Matty Neil Building fully funded the signs, while Precision Building crafted the beautiful timber frames and installed them. As a result, all four signs were donated and installed at no cost to ratepayers.

Just six months after the idea was first raised, the signs are already making a difference for local families. Te Hāwera Community Board hopes the project will inspire more community-led partnerships with some exciting new opportunities about to be made public later this week.

The Board thanks Enabling Good Lives Hāwera, Council staff and sponsors for helping transform a simple idea into a lasting community resource that will help make Hāwera’s parks more welcoming for everyone.